Antifraud means for storage tanks



Nov. 11, 1930. c. F. BERTSCHINGER 1,781,534

ANTIFRAUD MEANS FOR STORAGE TANKS Filed Aug. 26, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN I/ENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1930.

C. F. BERTSCHINGER ANTIFRAUD MEANS FOR STORAGE TANKS Filed Aug. 26. 1927 V T I! 2e 3 Sheet s-Sheet 2 I6 7 I0 8 O0 5 7 10 5 INVENTOR m gzaww ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1930 I 1,781,534

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. BERTSOHINGER, or JAMAICA, NEW- YORK. AssI'GNoR F THREE-FOURTHS TO TIDE WATER OIL-COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ANTIFR UD MEANS FOR STORAGE TANKS Application filed. August 26, 1927. Serial No. 215,552.

The pumps or dispensing stands serving branded gasoline at filling-stations are connected with underground tanks of large capaoity, the contents of which must be gauged at intervals by means of a rod or stick through a pipe which extends upward from the tank to a box at the ground level. Much fraud has been practised upon the public and the reputable oil companies whose gasoline is sold from these pumps by the filling of the tanks with cheap, inferior fuel. The purpose of this invention is to'provide an advantageous filling and gauging means, or in some instances a gauging means alone, which ermits storage tanks to be gauged, or gauged and filled through the pipe or entrance to the tank, but which effectually guards against fraudulent or unauthorized filling.

Inmy prior Patent 1,705,633, dated March 19,. .1929, I have disclosed a sealed or locked closure for a pipe rising from an underground tank, this closure or restricted passage permitting the insertion of a gauge-rod without opening the closure and being provided with a valve normally closing the passage and adapted to be displaced by the gauge-rod when the latter is inserted. The valve was preferably in the nature of a ball resting in a lower opening.

The present invention, in its complete and preferred embodiment, includes the subjectmatter of that patent. The particular improvement herein disclosed and claimed has to do with the provision of a gauge passage or entrance the opening of which is of special shape, in combination with a gauge-rod of similar cross-section, the advantages of which will be pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a portion of an underground tank and the pipe rising through the earth and equipped for theinvention, intermediate portions of the tank and pipe being broken out and the fill-box or frame at the ground level being in section Fig. 2 is a similar view. in vertical section. the cap having been removed from the head and the gauge rod being shown inserted head having a,

downward through the pipe to the bottom" of the tank, the fill-box being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a view, on a larger scale, of the upper portion of Fig. 2, showing the gauge rod in the act of being inserted and displacing the ball;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, partly in elevation,

without the gauge rod, the cap, being in place and the ball being in normal position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken at right angles to gauge stick extending downwardin the pipe;

Fig. 6 is a plan view with the cap removed and the gauge rod inserted, the rod being in section I Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7'Z of'Fig, 4; and

- Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 6 illustrating alternative forms.

The drawings indicate Fig. 3, showing a portion of the an underground storage tank 2 having a pipe 3 extending upward from an opening in its top through the ground to a box 4 at the ground level, where the pipe is, provided with a filling and ganging head. The upper end of the pipe is externally screw-threaded, and onto this end is screwed an internally threaded fitting 5, this fitting being sealed to the pipe against fraudulent removal, as by meanspf set-screws 6 screwed through openings in the wall of the fitting againstthe pipe heads connected by a sealing device comprising' a 100 of wire 7, the ends of which are united by the seal 8. A closure 9, preferably of low, cylindricaLboX-like form, is provided with a downwardly-projecting flange. 10, which is threaded so as to be screwed removably into the portion of the fitting 5 which projects above the pipe.

The fitting'5 and the closure 9 have lateral flanges or lugs 11 and 12, formed with openings 13 and 14, through which to pass the wire or metal tape 15 of a-lead seal 16, or its equivalent, the seal being of such character as to be readily renewable by a representative of the oil company having proper equipment but to afiord readily visible indication of unauthorized removal of the closure. since-in order to open the closure it. is necessary to break the seal.

and having their taining a hard, solid ball A packing gasket 17, interposed between the outer portion of the under surface of the closure 9 and the top of the fitting 5, insures a tight joint at this region, preventing entrance of water, and also provides a sufiicient range of compression when screwing theclosure into the fitting to enable the open ings 13 and 14 to be brought into cooperative relation irrespective of niceties of manufacture and regardless of wear. In this connection,-one, at least, of the openings, for example the lower opening 14, is'preferably elongated or slotted in the circumferential direction,

The interior of the box-like closure 9 is made to constitute a ball chamber 18, con- 19 of comparatively heavy material, preferably metal. I

find a ball of about an inch in diameter suitable for my purpose. It is preferable to make this ball of a non-magnetic alloy, so that it may not be drawn and held aside by magnetic attraction. The box and its chamber are made com aratively low, so as not to form a vertica projection higher than can be readily accommodated within the ordinary fill-box 4, the internal height of the chamber 18 being preferably only the diameter of the ball.

The chamber has upper and lower'walls 20 and 21, the latter being preferably integral with the body of the head and the former being preferably made of a separate piece for facility of manufacture but being permanently secured in place.

These walls have openings 22 and 23, re spectively, which are disposed one above the other, but which are eccentric to the axis of the head and to the axis of the pipe 3, beingv placed close to one side of the chamber 18 and comparatively remote from the diameta little greaterthan rically opposite side. The eccentric location of these openings .afiords plenty of room in the chamber 18 for pushing the ball aside from the opening 23, in which the ball normally rests, and at the same time permits the horizontal dimensions of the closure to be kept within moderate limits, so that the closure will not only be accommodated within the lateral dimensions of the ordinary box 4, but will leave sufiicient room therein outside of the closure for the operation of the seal press, with which the seal is renewed or replaced after an authorized filling operation has taken place.

The lower opening 23 is circular and somewhat smaller than the diameter of the ball, so that the ball rests well down in the opening and is not readily dislodged except by the means which will be described. The upper surface of the wall 21 slopes to the openmg 23, so that the ball will always return to its seat, and the seat itself is formed so as to lie in a horizontal plane, in order to insure a truly circular seat. The actual seat "rod is removed,

is best formed by a substantially sharp corner. This, in connection with the ball, forms a tight seal against the entrance of liquid to the pipe 3 and to the tank when the ball is in place. Broadly considered, the ball is a form of automatic valve for closing or obstructing the gauge entrance against entrance of liquid or escape of vapor when the gauge this device being adapted to be displaced by ter is introduced through the entrance.

Both the lower opening 23 and the upper opening 22 are of small area as compared with the area of the pi e 3 constituting the entrance to the tank. t will be understood that filling of these tanks is accomplished by inserting a nozzle of generous size into the upper end of the pipe, the nozzle being on the end of a hose, which is connected with the discharge of a truck tank or with gasoline drums carried by a stake body truck. A further valuable safeguard against unauthorized filling with inferior gasoline is secured by making the upper opening 22 of odd or special shape, of such character that its effective area for fraudulent filling attempts is further greatly reduced without interferring with its usefulness for gauging the depth of li uid in the tank. It will be apparent that the plan of the device is such that the openings 22 and 23 form part of a through-way into the interior of the tank, for the insertion of a gauge rod or stick 24, there being no obstructions incorporated in the device which would prevent the rods introduction.

As a part of the invention the rod is made of special cross-section, adapted to the crosssection of the opening 22. A suitable crosssection for a wooden stick is the triangular shape shown in Figs. 2. 3, 5 and 6, this shape being also the shape of the opening'22, which need be only slightly larger than the stick. This shape permits of a wide reading face 25 on the stick forming the base of the triangle, and also insures sufiicient strength against breaking in the long sticks which must be employed. The width of the face 25, which is graduated and marked at intervals is important, because the gallonage numbers which are applied at graduated inter vals run up into three figures and it is advantageous that the numbers be sufficiently large for ready reading.

It will be apparent that the bore of a circular nozzle which might be inserted into such an opening would be very restricted, and even if a triangular nozzle were specially made in an effort to introduce bootleg gasoline into the tank, which would beunlikely, the area of the nozzle would not be greatly increased. With any nozzle that might be introduced into such an opening, the great length of time that would be required to fill the tank or to run in any material amount the gauge-rod when the lat-' of unbranded gasoline would render the attempt, so unprofitable, because of tying up the mens time and the time of an expensive truck, and so likely to discovery, that a tank thus protected can be deemed to be effectually safeguarded against this form of fraud.

There may naturally be numerous modifications in the shape of the upper opening and in the corresponding cross-sectional shape of the gauge rod. Fig. 8 illustrates by way of further example a crescent shape, and Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a T-shape and a channel or U-shape, respectively. The latter are suitableparticularly for metal rods, and the shapes are such as to afford adequate stiffening for the rod, at the same time preserving thebreadth of reading face. In the case of a metal rod, the opening might be simply a comparatively narrow slot for a flat rod, but the length of these rods is so great that a form which gives some flange depth, as is the case in the forms illustrated,

is very desirable. I do not, of course, limit myself to the specific shapesillustrated.

The lower end of the gauge rod is beveled or sloped at one side as shown at 26, this bevel receding from the. broad reading face 25. This provision makes it possible for the ball to be displaced from its seat when the rod. is inserted. In this connection it will be noted that the opening 22, while over the opening 23, issomewhat offset laterally with respect ftllereto. so that the bevel 26 will act upon the ball at one side of its top. In the case of a avooden red, the beveled end 27 of the rod is preferably metal shod, or made of a metal piece, so as to resist wear against the ball and against the bottom of the tank. With the ball resting in its seat as it does, it would be practically impossible to displace it with any inadequate nozzle, such as might be inserted, and the consequent necessity of specially forming a nozzle so that the ball might be displaced is a further factor rendering an attempt at fraudulent filling unlikely in the extreme. If'the ball is not displaced, liquid cannot enter the tank, because the ball forms a tight valve against the passage of liquid from the chamber 18 to the pipe 3.

The ball thus also guards against the entrance of water to contaminate the contents of the tank. Furthermore,a removable cap 28 is provided for covering the top of the head, this cap having a skirt 29 which slips over the cylindrical wall of the closure 9 and is connected thereto by a quick-turn clamping connection formed by studs 30 on the sidesof the closure and cooperating in-- clined bayonet-joint slots 31 in the skirt. The cap carries at the under side of itstop a packing disk or gasket 32, which when the cap is clamped in place forms a water-tight joint against the low peripheral rib 33 at the top of the closure.

It will be apparent that in the case of a tank entrance which is not used as a filling entrance but used only for gauging, the closure containing the ball chamber could be applied and sealed directly to the upper end of the pipe 3 itself.

\Vhat 1 claim as new is:

l. Anti-fraud means for a storage tank,

comprising an enclosure guarding the entrance to the tank and containing a ball chamber with a ball therein. the upper and lower walls of said chamber having openings one above the other forming part of a through way for the insertion of a gauge rod into the interior of the tank, the lower of said openings presenting a circular seat in which the ball normally rests but from which it can be pushed aside by'the gauge rod, and the upper of said openings being of odd shape and comparatively small area.

2. Anti-fraud means for guarding an entrance to a storage tank, comprising a head secured to the entrance and containing a ball chamber with a ball therein, the upper and lower walls of said chamber having openings one above the other forming part of a throughway for the insertion of a gauge rod into the interior of the tank, the lower of said openings presenting a. circular seat in which the ball normally rests but from which it can be pushed aside by the gauge rod. and the upper of said openings being of odd shape and comparatively small area,

together with a' gauge rod having a crosssection adapted to said opening, and a point beveled for displacement of the ball.

3. Anti-fraud means for guarding an entrance to a storage tank, comprising a head secured to the entrance and containing a ball chamber with a ball therein, the upper and lower walls of said chamber having openings in eccentric positions one above the other forming part of a through-way for the insertion of a gauge rod into the interior of the tank. the lower of said openings presenting a circular seat in which the ball normally rests but from which it can be pushed aside by the gauge rod, and the upper of said openings being of odd shape and comparatively small area.

4. Anti-fraud means for guarding an entrance to a storage tank, comprising a head secured to the entrance and containing a ball chamber with a ball therein,the upper and lower walls of said chamber having openings in eccentric positions one above the other forming part of a through way for the insertion of a gauge rod into the interior of the tank. the lower of said openings presenting a circular seat in which the ball normally rests but from which it can be pushed aside by the gauge rod, and the upper of said openings being of very. small area as compared with the entrance td the tank.

5. A filling head for connection with a pipe rising from a storage tank, said head having a. closure which is. designed to be opened to admit a filling nozzle and which is provided with'means so that it can be secured against unauthorized opening, the head being further provided with an opening permitting the insertion of a gauge rod into the tank without opening said closure, said opening being of odd shape and relatively small area so as to discourage fraudulent filling through it, and a" valve in the head beneath said opening adapted to be displaced by a gauge-rod passed through the opening.

CHARLES F. BERTSCHINGER. 

